


I Sleep More Comfortably Knowing You're Beside Me

by thebeeraincell



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Minor Character Death, Minor Character(s), Past Abuse, Side whiterose if you pull out a magnifying glass, and now the belladonnas can see it very clearly, basically the bees love each other, so dont worry bout it, the minor character that dies is a character from a backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27058795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebeeraincell/pseuds/thebeeraincell
Summary: After the battle for Atlas leaves Salem on the run, for now at least, Blake and Yang, finally girlfriends, take advantage of the temporary peace to make a side trip to Managerie where they and Blake's parents end up having a heart-to-heart, which reveals a secret about Team RWBY's most stoic member.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ghira Belladonna/Kali Belladonna
Comments: 10
Kudos: 127





	I Sleep More Comfortably Knowing You're Beside Me

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a short one-shot that kind of grew a life of its own. If you wanna yell at me about it I have a RWBY tumblr by the same name as here. Hope you enjoy :)

As night began to fall, the Belladonnas and Yang sat around the mantle in the spacious den of the Belladonna household. The crackling fire protecting them from the cool night air just as much as their comfortably full stomachs and the mugs of tea clasped in their hands. Kali and Ghira had sat in two of the overstuffed chairs to the side of the fireplace, leaving the couch open to Blake and Yang. The after-dinner conversation had ranged through many subjects, the recent battles in Atlas, the political ramifications of that here in Managerie, how the other duo of RWBY were resting up on Patch, and how long Blake and Yang would be on the island before reuniting with Ruby and Weiss for the team's long journey to Vacuo.

As the night wore on, Yang couldn't help but notice how Blake had begun to slowly shift from her side of the couch, eventually ending up leaning against the brawler's warm side. She had been there for the past half-hour or so, and Yang could feel her body gently shake when she chuckled at the awful puns and Dad jokes that were being thrown back and forth between Ghira and Yang, and noticed her hands worrying with her long empty teacup and the embarrassed flicking of her ears as Kali regaled the blonde with anecdotes of Blake's more rambunctious childhood years.

The four had talked for hours, and eventually the chuckles and quick wit from Blake had turned to drawn out yawns, her proud posture drooping along with her ears as her legs curled up on the couch.

"And I said, now that's a kata-"

A low, rumbling snore from Yang's side interrupted the blonde. She turned to notice Blake had fully reclined against her side, her empty teacup resting precariously on her knee, only kept from slipping to the ground by a loosely curled finger about its handle.

With a deft hand, Yang saved the poor cup from chipping against the floor and placed it on the side table by the couch, careful not to jostle the apparently deep asleep cat faunus as she did.

"I didn't think she would fall asleep so quick." Yang chuckled, turning back to the Belladonnas. "She's usually the last to fall asleep when we're out on miss-"

Yang's sentence came to a halt when the light snores from Blake transitioned into something different; a low thrumming deep in the cat faunus's chest. She heard a gasp, and she turned to see the shocked faces of Ghira and Kali. Ghira had set his tea to the side and Kali had a hand clasped over her mouth, stifling the gasp that had caught Yang's attention.

Kali rose from her chair and quietly moved over to stand next to the couch, gently resting her hand on her daughter's shoulder in what Yang could only describe as disbelief. After removing her hand, she turned to her husband with her eyes misted with tears, nodding at him with a smile wide and bright.

"She can still purr, Ghira." The words were choked with the tears that began to flow down her face. Yang, surprised, turned to see Ghira quickly standing and embracing Kali tightly, his own face covered in joy as Kali lightly sobbed into his jacket. 

Nervously, Yang looked over to the Belladonnas as the light purrs continued from Blake's sleeping form, "Is she okay? Is something wrong?"

Ghira ran a thumb over his eyes with a low chuckle, "Everything is alright, young one. Better than alright."

Kali pulled back from Ghira's coat, a light, joyful laugh leaving her as well, "Sorry to worry you, Dear." She wiped the tears from her face, "It's just been such a long time since we've heard her sound so calm and content."

Yang glanced between Ghira and Kali and then back to Blake, who had kept dozing through the excitement.

"All the travel we've done recently must have exhausted her, I've never heard her do this before. I didn't even know that cat faunus could purr." Yang admitted with a tinge of embarrassment, lightly caressing Blake's shoulder with her thumb.

"Don't be surprised you haven't heard of it." Kali consoled, leaning back against Ghira as he wrapped his arms around her, "Purring is a very intimate thing amongst feline species of faunus. Anyone not extremely close to one would likely go their lives without hearing about it, much less hearing it themselves. Honestly, I think there's only been a handful of people in my life that I have ever purred around."

"That's... wow, I had no idea." Yang whispered, the enormity of the moment still sinking in. "Is there, well, can you tell me more about this? What it means?" She quickly glanced up, leveling a nervous look at the elder Belladonnas. "If that's okay, I mean, I don't want to overstep in any way."

Ghira and Kali shared a look and a smile. "I am always happy to share with an eager listener. Besides, it seems Blake has no qualms with trusting you, whether she consciously admits it or not." Kali answered with a michevious grin and a wink.

Yang's cheeks colored pink as, with a kiss between his wife's ears, Ghira went to gently pick up the chairs he and Kali had used earlier, moving them closer to the couch and within earshot of the stuttering rumbles from the dozing Blake. 

"Typically," Kali began, settling in her chair and clasping Ghira's hand in hers, "feline faunus will only purr if they are completely content, meaning they feel absolutely safe and happy. There are some exceptions, of course. Big cats, like Ghira can roar or growl, especially if they're feeling protective, and even purrs can be used to show affection in other ways." Kali's ears drooped, she took a deep breath, then continued.

"When my mother fell deathly ill, my mom wouldn't leave her side. She would hold my mother's palm to her chest and her purrs would never stop. Even when they transferred her to a hospital bed she would gently lay next to her and comfort her, purring all the while."

Kali gave Yang a sad smile, "My mother didn't make it, and I never heard my mom purr again. To be so open, to put so much trust in someone," she looked from Blake's still purring form to Yang, "and to have them taken from you is a deep wound, not only for your body, but your spirit as well."

Yang opened her mouth to speak her sympathies, but Kali simply held a hand up to stop her.

"Blake has been fighting for her people since she was very young." Kali sighed and held tighter to Ghira's hand. "Before she knew what faunus had to face, before she saw the injustice of the world with her own two eyes, she would almost always be purring at home."

"Especially if we had tuna fish for dinner." Ghira cut in with a light chuckle, his eyes looking towards the kitchen, seeing something from a long time ago.

Kali gave a small smile, "Yes, especially then. It's natural for feline faunus to purr less and less as they get older and realize the meaning behind it. But when Blake fell in with the more extreme side of the White Fang..." her eyes narrowed, "it was like she had pulled a shell around herself, hiding her emotions away completely. We thought it was because of what she had seen, but," her ears pinned back and a low growl came from Ghira, "we didn't notice that Taurus boy was manipulating her, placing doubts in her mind about how much we cared for her, our twelve year old daughter!" She growled, golden eyes burning in the embers of the fire from the mantle.

Yang sat still, rubbing comforting motions over Blake's shoulder, as much for herself as her still sleeping partner.

Ghira had moved to stand behind Kali, rubbing gently at her shoulders, almost mimicking the swirls and loops that were happening on the couch across from him. 

"She left with him after we stepped down." Ghira growled lowly. "We tried to find out where she was, Sienna refused to give us her location. 'Classified Missions', she said. There was nothing we could do but wait and hope that one day she'd come back."

A tear rolled down Yang's face. She quickly wiped it away to refocus on the now much more weary looking couple across from her.

"She did come back," Kali said with a small sad smile, "but she was so timid," she held Ghira's palm to her cheek as a tears rolled down her face, "she would cry out in her sleep, pleading for him to stop, begging with broken sobs, and we began to worry that she'd never be able to find that contentedness, that peace that allowed her to purr again." Her smile widened slightly as tears, happy ones now, continued to slide down her cheeks, "but here she is, for the first time in almost six years, content, happy," she looked at Yang, "finally free from that shell that he forced her in."

Yang could feel the tugging of her heart for the woman who laid snuggled against her side, she knew the strength that laid behind her aloof exterior, but to hear it again just made her treasure these moments all the more.

Ghira let out a low chuckle, looking at the clock above the mantle "I think it is time we follow Blake's example and head to bed."

Kali nodded and rose from the chair, "We'll move the furniture back and do any dishes tomorrow morning." She turned to leave the room with Ghira at her side, "Might I ask one more favor of you, Yang?"

Yang looked up to her from where she had been gazing at Blake, "Yes, Mrs. Belladonna?"

"Well two favors now, I suppose." She chuckled, "One, please call me Kali, you're family, and two, would you escort Blake to her bedroom? We have prepared the guest room next to hers for you to sleep in, and I do hope you find the accommodations comfortable."

Yang gave a dazzling grin to the Belladonnas, "Absolutely, Kali. Thank you."

With a nod, the elder Belladonnas left the room and made their way up the stairs, leaving Yang and Blake curled up on the couch.

Yang debated rousing Blake for the quick walk to their rooms, but ultimately decided against it. Rather, she maneuvered her arm that had been rubbing at her shouder around them, putting the other behind Blake's knees to pick her still purring charge up bridal style.

Looking down at her peaceful face, Yang couldn't resist giving her partner a chaste kiss on the forehead as she began her trek towards the bedrooms. Too late she realized her mistake, as the first steps towards the stairs caused a cease of the purring that had been a constant for the past nearly an hour.

"Did I fall asleep?" Blake yawned, one amber eye lazily batting open as a now blushing Yang gently carried her up the stairs and through the door to her childhood bedroom.

"Yeah," Yang smiled, "You dozed off leaned up against me, you got so cozy you even started purring."

Both of Blake's eyes came open at that, and Yang could almost see the wheels in her head turning after hearing what Yang said. "Really? I was purring?"

"Mhmm." Yang hummed an affirmative as she laid Blake gently down on top of the covers and turned to sit on the side of the bed. She turned back with a cheeky grin, "Either that or you have an award winning car engine impersonation."

Blake scoffed and was quick to playfully smack at her shoulder, "Shut up you. You've got no room to talk when you snore louder than an Ursa Major with a head cold."

Yang laughed and moved to head toward the guest bedroom when Blake's hand gently grabbed her wrist. When Yang turned back to her, the light droop to the faunus's ears grabbed her attention immediately.

"Blake? What's wro-"

"Can you stay?" Blake said suddenly, "I-in here tonight? With me?"

Yang was shocked at the request, she had fully expected Blake to just quickly doze back off when she left for the night, but before she could say anything, Blake spoke again.

"I, just," her golden eyes came up from where they rested at their hands to catch Yang's lilac ones, "I sleep more comfortably knowing you're beside me."

Yang's heart swelled as she looked into Blake's eyes, the amber catching all the light in the room, two warm suns burning with Blake's hastily gathered courage, trying to convey the sincerity in her words, and succeeding.

With a soft smile, Yang shifted the hand Blake held until their fingers clasped together. "Of course. Just let me grab my pajamas and I'll hurry right back."

Blake grinned, her ears perking upward as she released Yang's hand. "Go on then."

Yang made quick work of getting changed, shuffling as quickly and quietly as she could back to Blake's room, then hopping into the bed right next to Blake.

Blake made quick work of snuggling closer to Yang's body heat, the warmth of her partner quickly bringing her back to the sleepy state she'd been disturbed from when moved from the living-room couch.

Yang finally dozed off that night to the sound of lowly vibrating purrs from the chest of her partner, lightly smiling in her sleep.


End file.
